Toy cars

ABSTRACT

A toy vehicle having an electric motor which is connected to one of its wheels by an interruptible drive linkage, the engagement of which is controlled by a switch for the motor. The switch member preferably has three positions for &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;on,&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;off&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; and reverse and is arranged to bear against a pivotable motor mounting and to disengage a drive transmitting shaft from the wheel, when moved to the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;off&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; position, so that the vehicle can &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;free-wheel&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;.

United States Patent 1191 Tong June 25, 1974 TOY CARS [75] Inventor; Duncan Tong, Hong Kong U31, en gma P y Limited, s K91 3 [22] Filed: Jan. 5, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 321,413

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 31, 1972 [52] US. Cl. 46/243 LV [51] Int. Cl A63h 29/22 [58] Field of Search 46/243 LV, 244 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Wulfert 46/243 LV Great Britain 04499/72 6/1962 Jolley 46/244 R 10/1969 -McRoskey et al 46/243 LV Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hyman Hurvitz [57] ABSTRACT A toy vehicle having an electric motor which is connected to one of its wheels by an interruptible drive linkage, the engagement of which is controlled by a switch for the motor. The switch member preferably has three positions for on, off and reverse and is arranged to bear against a pivotable motor mounting and to disengage a drive transmitting shaft from the wheel, when moved to the off position, so that the vehicle can free-wheel.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures TOY CARS This invention relates to motor-driven models or toys and particularly to model cars driven by electric motors.

In a motor-driven toy vehicle according to the invention, operation of the switch for the motor from an on to an off position acts to break the drive chain from the motor to the wheels to enable the wheels to turn freely.

In the preferred embodiment which is an electric motor-driven model, the switch controls the supply of current to the motor. Preferably the switch is a three position switch which in addition to the off and forward positions, has a reverse position in which the polarity of the supply of current to the motor is reversed. The motor is preferably mounted on a pivot-arm which is so positioned that a drive member on the end of the shaft can be brought into driving engagement with one wheel on the vehicle. A spring biasses the motor pivot-arm so as to bring the drive member into engagement with the wheel, and an extension of a switch member is arranged to urge the motor pivot-arm away from the wheel, and thus disengage the drive, when the switch member is in the off position.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the underside of a model car having the drive system of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the motor mounting;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the motor and control switch installed with the drive in the disengaged position also showing the electrical connections; and,

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to that of FIG. 3 but with the drive engaged.

Referring to FIG. 1, the car 2 comprises a body 4, and an underpan 6 which carries the mechanical and electrical components. A battery compartment 8 is positioned near the front wheels 10 and a well 12 for the motor is situated just ahead of the rear wheels 14. A switch lever 16 extends outwardly from the rear of the underside of the vehicle.

FIG. 2 shows the motor 18 and its pivoted mounting 20 which comprises an arm 22 having a pivot 24 at one end and a motor-locating housing 26 at the other end, in which the motor is held with its drive shaft 28 extending outwardly from the end 30 of the housing. The motor is retained in the housing 26 by means of a cover 32 which has slots 34 to engage with upwardly extending lugs 36 on the housing, the cover 32 also having a downwardly extending bearing surface 38 to engage with a part of the switch member as explained below.

The pivot 24 of the mounting is held on a pivot post 40, on the underpan 6, which is located adjacent the motor well I2. A slot 42 is formed at the outer side of the well 12 and receives a lug 44 formed on the end of housing 26. The well 12 and the slot 42 are both somewhat wider than the housing 26 and lug 44 respectively, so that the housing can pivot from side to side, whilst being held down onto the underpan by the engagement of the lug in the slot.

Referring to FIG. 3 a switch member 46 situated behind the rear axle of the vehicle carries contact strips 48 and 50 on its surface and is pivoted at 52 in a housing 54. The housing carries contacts 56, 58 and 60. A

further contact 62 is connected to the pivot 52 and thence to contact strip 50 of the switch member 46. The terminals of contacts 52 and 56 are connected to the supply from the battery compartment 8 and the terminals of contacts 58 and 60 are connected to the terminals 62 and 64 of the motor 18.

The switch member 46 can be rotated so as to move the contact strips 48 and 50 from the off position shown, to one of the positions shown in FIG. 4, bringing either of them into contact with either contact 58 or contact 60 of the housing. Since contact strip 48 is connected to the negative terminal of the battery compartment while contact strip 50 is connected to the positive terminal, the effect is to supply current to the motor in either the forward or reverse directions.

The inner end 66 of the switch member 46 is formed with a cam surface 68 for engagement with the downwardly extending bearing surface 38 of the motorhousing cover 32 (FIG. 2). In the off position shown, the highest point of the cam is in contact with this surface. The housing is urged towards this cam by means of a tension spring 70 which is connected to the housing at one end of the underpan 6 at the other end. The outer end of the shaft 28 of the motor carries a rubber sleeve 72 for engagement with the rear wheel 14 of the vehicle, and in the position shown, the cam 68 holds the drive out of engagement. When the lever end 16 of the switch member is moved to either the solid line or dotted line positions of FIG. 4, the cam 68 presents a low point to the motor housing, and the tension spring 70 then brings the drive shaft sleeve 72 into engagement with the wheel. At the same time current is supplied to the motor in either the forward or the reverse direction, as explained above, so that the vehiclethen moves either forwards or backwards.

Although in the embodiment described the motor is positioned ahead of the driven axle and the switch behind, it is envisaged that this layout could be reversed, with the switch member 16 extending from the middle of the underpan 6, rather than the rear. It is also envisaged that the drive system could be applied to other motor-driven models or toys, for example clockwork toys. Because the central off position of the switch disengages the drive, it is particularly useful where freewheel use of the model could result in damage to the motor, as with electrically driven models, or where an electric model would be unusable without batteries, as is usually the case.

I claim:

1. A toy vehicle drivable from a source of power comprising:

at least three wheels rotatably mounted on said body;

a motor;

an on/off reversing switch selectively interconnecting and disconnecting said motor and said source of power;

an interruptible driven linkage between said motor and at least one of said wheels to the switch for the motor, the arrangement being such that movement of the switch to the ofF position acts to interrupt the drive; and

cam means integral with and responsive to said reversing switch only while said reversing switch is interconnecting said motor and said source of power for actuating said linkage to couple said linkage and said at least one of said wheels in driv ing relation. 2. A toy vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising:

a pivotable mounting for the motor;

said motor having a driveshaft;

said linkage including a frictional drive transmitting member on said motor shaft and engagable with said at least one of said wheels; and

said cam means including biassing means for said pivotable mounting normally urging said transmitting member into engagement with said wheel.

3. A battery powered toy vehicle comprising:

a body;

at least three wheels rotatably mounted on the body;

a motor;

a driveshaft on said motor;

a switch for selectively connecting and disconnecting said battery and said motor;

a pivotable mounting for said motor;

a frictional drive transmitting member on said driveshaft and engagable with one of said wheels;

biassing means for said pivotable mounting normally urging said drive transmitting member into engagement with said wheel;

a pivotably-mounted switch member coupled with i said switch and movable therewith, one end of said switch member abutting against the mounting of the motor in camming relation;

said switch having an on and an off position;

the relative arrangements of said switch member and said pivotable mounting being such that on movement of said switch member to said drive transmitting member of said motor shaft is cammed out of engagement with said wheel.

4. A toy vehicle comprising:

a body;

at least three wheels rotatably mounted on said body;

a reversible electric motor;

a source of electric current for said motor;

a switch having on, off and reverse positions controlling the supply of current to said motor;

a driveshaft on said motor;

a pivotable mounting for said motor;

a frictional drive transmiting member on said driveshaft and engagable with one of said wheels;

biassing means for said pivotable mounting normally urging said drive transmitting member into engagement with one of said wheels; and

a pivotably-mounted switch member coupled to said switch and movable therewith, said switch member having one end abutting against said pivotable mounting in connection relation; said member being so located and arranged with respect to said pivotable mounting that only on movement of said switch member to said ofi position is said drive transmitting member urged out of engagement with said one of said wheels. 

1. A toy vehicle drivable from a source of power comprising: a body; at least three wheels rotatably mounted on said body; a motor; an on/off reversing switch selectively interconnecting and disconnecting said motor and said source of power; an interruptible driven linkage between said motor and at least one of said wheels to the switch for the motor, the arrangement being such that movement of the switch to the ''''off'''' position acts to interrupt the drive; and cam means integral with and responsive to said reversing switch only while said reversing switch is interconnecting said motor and said source of power for actuating said linkage to couple said linkage and said at least one of said wheels in driving relation.
 2. A toy vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising: a pivotable mounting for the motor; said motor having a driveshaft; said linkage including a frictional drive transmitting member on said motor shaft and engagable with said at least one of said wheels; and said cam means including biassing means for said pivotable mounting normally urging said transmitting member into engagement with said wheel.
 3. A battery powered toy vehicle comprising: a body; at least three wheels rotatably mounted on the body; a motor; a driveshaft on said motor; a switch for selectively connecting and disconnecting said battery and said motor; a pivotable mounting for said motor; a frictional drive transmitting member on said driveshaft and engagable with one of said wheels; biassing means for said pivotable mounting normally urging said drive transmitting member into engagement with said wheel; a pivotably-mounted switch member coupled with said switch and movable therewith, one end of said switch member abutting against the mounting of the motor in camming relation; said switch having an ''''on'''' and an ''''off'''' position; the relative arrangements of said switch member and said pivotable mounting being such that on movement of said switch member to said drive transmitting member of said motor shaft is cammed out of engagement with said wheel.
 4. A toy vehicle comprising: a body; at least three wheels rotatably mounted on said body; a reversible electric motor; a source of electric current for said motor; a switch having on, off and reverse positions controlling the supply of current to said motor; a driveshaft on said motor; a pivotable mounting for said motor; a frictional drive transmiting member on said driveshaft and engagable with one of said wheels; biassing means for said pivotable mounting normally urging said drive transmitting member into engagement with one of said wheels; and a pivotably-mounted switch member coupled to said switch and movable therewith, said switch member having one end abutting against said pivotable mounting in connection relation; said member being so located and arranged with respect to said pivotable mounting that only on movement of said switch member to said off position is said drive transmitting member urged out of engagement with said one of said wheels. 